Sweet Memories
by BlueandRedButterflies
Summary: What happens when Roxas, the thirteenth member of Organization XIII, stumbles upon a magical storybook entitled "Winnie the Pooh"? For those who always wanted more of the little guy. Pooh, that is. No yaoi, I promise! Please R&R Rated T just to be safe
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya! I'm BlueandRedButterflies! (You can call me BRB) XD LOL**

**Anyway…I'm finally publishing this story here. This is just the first chapter. It's longer than the chapter on Quizilla, because since this is from my word processor, I can group some chapters together. **

**Please review! PLEASE review! PLEASE don't flame! If you want to flame, don't, because it's your own fault for clicking the link! Constructive criticism is much appreciated! Enjoy!**

_"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."  
__- Anais Nin_

"Split up," Axel had order Roxas when they had been cornered by the Heartless. Of course, Roxas obeyed orders and had opened a portal that put him…somewhere in downtown Hollow Bastion. Truth be told…he was lost.

"Stupid heartless…" mutter Roxas. _Where is Axel?_ He thought. _We __have__ to complete this mission._

Roxas stopped. Behind him, he sensed dark energy. It didn't belong to Axel…or Demyx…or any one from Organization XIII. It belonged to the Heartless.

Having no more energy to fight, Roxas did the only thing he could do--run. He ran around multiple corners, down countless streets, and into a few dozen people, but he just couldn't shake the Heartless of his trail.

Finally, he reached a small, deserted-looking building. Roxas pushed open the door and slammed it behind him.

Panting, Roxas slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor. When his breathing returned to normal, he surveyed the room. It was littered with books, some on shelves, some piled up on the floor. There was one book in particular that caught his eye; it was resting in the middle of the room on a pedestal. Roxas got up and slowly made his way through the sea of books towards it. The book was titled _Winnie the Pooh_.

"_Winnie the Pooh_…" Roxas whispered to himself. The name sounded so familiar…so…inviting. On the cover was the back of a boy with red shorts and spikey hair. The name _Sora_ popped into Roxas' mind. Sora was holding hands with what appeared to be a stuffed bear. _Pooh,_ thought Roxas, a smile spreading on his face. Then-_Wait…how did I know that?_ There was also a tiger-like animal bouncing on his tail nearby and a small piglet walking beside them. Intrigued, Roxas opened the book to the first page, which was a map with many misspellings. He blinked, and before he knew it, he was floating down onto the map.

"Whoa!" Roxas exclaimed outloud. He looked around. _Where am I?_ he thought. Then he looked down at the page. _No way. This is impossible…I'm in the book?!_

Several trees popped out from the page, causing Roxas to jump. "Pooh's Hows," the nearest sign read. Roxas shrugged and walked toward the tree. A path opened up before him and the map disappeared. Now, he was in a dense forest with a dirt path underneath his feet.

Roxas walked along the path, his mission long forgotten. _What is it about this place that's so…familiar?_ Roxas wondered. He was almost enjoying himself when he saw a large tree with a log in front of it. He stopped in his tracks and stared. On the log was the same stuffed bear he had seen on the cover. It hadn't seen him, so Roxas took the opportunity to quickly duck back into the cover of the forest and summon both of his keyblades. _Looks can be deceiving_, he thought, before carefully stepping out into the open again.

This time, the bear saw him and jumped to his feet. Not being sure what to expect, Roxas struck his normal fighting pose, both keyblades ready for whatever was going to happen next.

"Sora!" the bear cried, running to Roxas and hugging his leg.

Two things went through Roxas' mind: _Sora? Why the heck did he call me that?!?!_ And _It's good to see you again, Pooh Bear._

Roxas sighed. "I'm not Sora. I'm _ROXAS_."

The bear let go of his leg and looked up at him quizzically. "You're not Sora?"

"No," Roxas said patiently. "My name is Roxas."

"Oh, well, since you're Roxas and not Sora, that means we haven't met. I'm Winnie the Pooh. Pooh for short."

Roxas' keyblades disappeared as he bent down to Pooh's level. "It's nice to meet you, Pooh Bear."

Pooh smiled at Roxas. "It's nice to meet you too, Roxas." Then he added, "You wouldn't happen to have any…honey, would you?"

"Uh…no," answered Roxas. "But, I could probably help you get some, if you want."

"Oh, yes. I would like that ever so much!" Pooh said, smiling and taking Roxas' hand. "Follow me!"

It made Roxas happy to see Pooh smile. But he couldn't figure out why. _I'm a Nobody,_ he thought bitterly. _I can't feel anything_. And yet, he was sure what he was feeling here with Pooh was not fake.

Apparently, Pooh was really hungry and they were a long way from wherever the honey was. After a while, Pooh sat down.

"Oh, I do believe there is a rumbly in my tumbly," he said sadly. "And I am too tired to walk anymore, even to get some honey."

Roxas smiled. He turned around and knelt to the ground. "C'mon," he said over his shoulder to Pooh. "I'll carry you."

"Really?" asked Pooh as if it were too good to be true.

Roxas nodded. "Yup. Hop on."

With that, Pooh climbed onto Roxas' back. Pooh told Roxas all about his friends in the Hundred Acre Woods, including Sora.

_Sora_, he thought. _I wish I knew more about him…_

After a bit more walking and a few wrong turns (Pooh often forgot to tell Roxas where to go or turn), they came to a large meadow with a giant, scraggly-looking tree in the middle.

"Here we are!" announced Pooh.

Roxas blinked. "But, where's the honey?"

The bear jumped down from Roxas' back and pointed a paw up to a hole in the tree. A few bees buzzed around the hole. "It's up there."

The Nobody's jaw dropped. "Up _there_?" he repeated. "How do we get up _there_?"

Pooh waddled over to the tree and stuck his paw inside. When he pulled his paw out, he was holding a balloon.

Roxas walked over too Pooh. "Oh, I get it!" he said. "You can fly up and get the honey."

Pooh handed the balloon to Roxas. "We'll go up together," he said, climbing onto Roxas's back again.

"Uh…Pooh? I'm not sure—" but he stopped, because, low and behold, they were rising of the ground. "What the—" he began again.

"Hold on tight!" cried Pooh as they rose higher and higher.

Roxas quickly obeyed. The pair rose up and up, until they were at the hive. Roxas stretched out a gloved hand and grabbed onto a branch near the hive to halt their ascent.

"Alright, we're here," said Roxas.

Pooh smacked his lips. "How yummy for my tummy!" he cried before climbing off of Roxas and onto the tree. Within seconds, he was greedily gobbling honey from the bee hive.

Before long, the bees realized what was happening and started buzzing angrily around Pooh.

"Oh bother. I think the bees suspect something."

Roxas nodded. "Yeah. We'd better go."

He let go of the tree, and floating over to Pooh, heard the little bear yelp, "Ouch!"

"You ok?" Roxas asked as he helped Pooh onto his back again.

"I believe so," said Pooh, putting his paw into his mouth.

It was harder going down the tree than it was going up it. Roxas alternated arms as he pushed against the tree and branches, propelling them to the ground. The whole time, Roxas watched the bees nervously as they circled around the balloon.

"Ouch!" cried Pooh again.

"Hold on, we're almost-" but Roxas never finished, because one of the bees popped the balloon.

Roxas quickly grasped one of the tree branches to keep them from falling. However, the branch could not support their weight and it began to break. Roxas also felt Pooh start to slip off his back.

_Shoot_, thought Roxas. He stretched his arm downward and opened a portal of darkness just below them. At that moment, the branch broke and the two fell into the portal. The darkness surrounded the pair and pushed them along, directing them to where they were supposed to go.

"…Roxas?" Pooh asked quietly. "Where are we?"

"Just hang on. We'll be there soon…" Roxas's voice echoed in the dark nothingness of the portal.

Seconds later, a small dot of light appeared. Pooh gasped audibly and climbed up onto Roxas's shoulders to get a better look.

Smiling, Roxas took hold of Pooh's feet. "Here we go!"

The light grew and grew, until Roxas could see that they were heading into the room that he had been in earlier.

_We're heading out of the book_, thought Roxas. For some reason, he felt uneasy. _What'll happen to Pooh?_

Roxas stepped out of the portal, which promptly closed behind him.

"Oh, that was rather fun!" exclaimed Pooh, sliding off of Roxas' back. The bear looked around the cluttered room. "Where are we now?"

"We're in Hollow Bastion," Roxas whispered. He surveyed the room, and to his dismay, he saw that Pooh's book (the one that had been resting on the pedestal)…was gone. The uneasy feeling in Roxas' stomach grew. _Where did it go?_

"Hollow Bastion," Pooh wondered out loud. "I don't believe I've ever been here before!" he meandered around the room, looking at this and that, the rumbliness in his tummy a mere memory now.

Meanwhile, Roxas searched the room frantically. Something told him it wasn't good for Pooh to be out of the forest for too long.

"Well, that's because…uh…this place is…kinda…far away from your bo-I mean, house," Roxas explained.

Finally, unable to find the book, Roxas sighed. Running his fingers through his golden hair, he turned around and said, "We'd better go. We've got to find some way to get you home." Then he noticed that Pooh was no longer in the room. The door was left ajar. "Oh no," whispered Roxas as he bolted out the door. _The Heartless!_

Everything in the streets of Hollow Bastion seemed back to normal, as if there had been no Heartless attack. People walked from store to store, buying clothes and supplies. In fact, the only clues that the attack ever occurred where the shattered windows, broken store signs, and claws markings on trees.

Roxas' mind swarmed with questions. _Where's Pooh? Where's Axel? And where are all those Heartless?_

"POOH!" called Roxas as he ran down the street, looking for the bear. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" He briefly noticed people giving him strange looks and some even snickering, but he kept on searching.

Suddenly, a scream rang out. Everyone on the street froze. A young woman came running down the street past Roxas, screaming, "Heartless! RUN!" Immediately, everyone in the busy marketplace began running in the opposite direction that the woman had come from.

Roxas groaned. _Why here? Why now?_ Nevertheless, he summoned his keyblades and courageously charged to where the lady had said the Heartless were. _Maybe Axel's there, too! _ But the cry for help that Roxas soon heard was not the one of his fiery-haired friend, but that of a different friend…

"Oh, help!" Roxas heard Pooh's all-too familiar voice call.

_No_, thought the Nobody. _No, no, no, no…_ He quickened his pace as he rounded the corner. There was Pooh, running as fast as his chubby legs could run away from an awful swarm of Neoshadows and Operas intent on stealing the poor bear's soul.

"Roxas!" he cried at the sight of his friend. Then, the bear stumbled over his own feet and landed face first on the ground. Unfortunately, one of the Neoshadows took the opportunity to leap forward toward Pooh, his claws at the ready.

**Dun dun DUN!!!!!**

**GASPETH!!! OH NOES!!!! POOH!!!!**

**(You guys honestly don't think I'm gonna let those Heartless take Pooh's heart, right?)**

***summons Keyblade***

**Until next time!**

**BlueandRedButterflies**


	2. Chapter 2

**GO! ROXAS!!! I CHOOSE YOU TO PWN THE HEARTLESS!!!! (since when was **_**Pokemon**_** brought into this? I'm not even into that anymore! XD)**

**Anyway, I think I've kept you waiting long enough (yeah, a whole day!), so on with the battle!**

"_There is magic in the memory of schoolboy friendships; it softens the heart, and even affects the nervous system of those who have no heart."_

_-Benjamin Disraeli_

"STRIKING RAID!" Roxas cried, unleashing both of his keyblades in a powerful attack at the Neoshadow. It disappeared in a small cloud of darkness and released its captive heart. Roxas jumped in front of the bear to protect him from the magic attacks the Operas were aiming at him. The Nobody took a little damage, but he called his keyblades back to him and returned the favor.

The only Heartless remaining now were the Neoshadows, who sank into the shadows and started swirling around Roxas and Pooh.

_Crap,_ Roxas inwardly swore. Out of all the Heartless in all the worlds, Roxas "hated" the Neoshadows the most. Pooh whimpered softly, then hugged Roxas's leg in fear. _ He must be so scared,_ thought Roxas, looking down at the terrified bear.

Unfortunately, while his guard was down for that short moment, a Neoshadow lunged at Roxas. The Nobody was able to block its attack in time and push the Heartless back. Then, Roxas delivered the final blow to the Neoshadow.

Roxas carefully surveyed their surroundings before saying, "Whew…I think that's all of them." He turned around to face the slightly dazed bear. "Are you ok, Pooh?"

Pooh tilted his head to the side, frowned, and said, "Those Heffalumps and Woozles were awfully frightening." Then he smiled at Roxas. "But I'm so glad you were here, Roxas!"

Roxas could only smile at his simple friend. He didn't have the heart (oh, ha _ha_) to tell Pooh that they were in a much more dangerous world now. "C'mon," he said, motioning Pooh to follow him. "Let's go find a way to get you home."

However, the second Roxas turned around, the rest of the Neoshadows came out of hiding and exploded out of the ground, grabbing Pooh and carrying him high in the air with them.

"ROXAS!" cried Pooh in terror.

The boy whipped around, his eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and horror. "POOH BEAR!" he yelled, but before he could do anything else, something whizzed through the air past him. The glowing orange and red spheres destroyed all three of the Neoshadows almost instantaneously. After crying out in surprise, Pooh was sent plummeting to the ground.

"I gottcha!" Roxas called as he stretched out his arms to catch Pooh. The Nobody easily caught him.

Pooh sat up in Roxas's arms and said a polite thank you to his guardian before—

"Hey, Roxas! Did I miss something?"

The pair turned and looked at the source of the voice. It was a tall, thin man with blazing red hair and clad in all black.

"Axel!"

"Where've you been, Roxas?" Axel asked. "I've been lookin' all over for you!" Axel raised his eyebrows at the bear in Roxas's arms. "And who's this?"

"Umm…this is—"

"Hello!" Pooh piped up happily. "I'm Winnie the Pooh. But my friends call me 'Pooh'."

Axel resisted the urge to laugh at the bear, but a smirk still spread across his face. Roxas glared at him.

Roxas then turned slightly so that Pooh could see Axel better. "Pooh, this is my…uh…friend, Axel." Pooh smiled sweetly at Axel. Another smirk spread across the older Nobody's face.

There was one thing Axel couldn't resist asking…

"What's a Pooh?"

The bear again smiled happily. "You're looking at one!"

The firey-haired Nobody snickered while Roxas rolled his eyes and set Pooh down. Pooh soon noticed a butterfly gliding by and hopped after it as he tried to catch it.

Roxas shot Axel a look. "Axel…"

"What? I couldn't resist!" The two Nobodies watched Pooh dance around in the flowers with the butterfly. "So, where'd you find him?"

"Well, um…" Roxas laughed nervously. "You're not gonna believe this, but he came out of a magical book!"

Axel chuckled. "You're right, I don't believe it. So seriously, where's he from? He's obviously not from this world."

"Axel, I wasn't kidding! I found some kind of magical book that sucked me in and that's where I found Pooh!"

Axel laughed. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Roxas rolled his eyes. He knew Axel was just kidding.

"But I can't find the book to get him back in it. I…don't think he should be out here too long."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't. I just…do."

Axel nodded as if he understood. He really didn't, though. He still didn't think it was a big deal, nor did he understand anything else that was really going on.

Meanwhile, Pooh chased another butterfly farther down the empty street. Roxas and Axel followed close behind.

Finally, Axel said, "Why did you protect him back there, Roxas?"

Roxas was silent as he contemplated the question. "I don't know," he said honestly. "I just felt I had too." Then realization dawned on him. "Wait--you saw that?"

The older Nobody nodded. "Yeah. You weren't half bad. Your skills are improving."

The younger Nobody smiled at this compliment. Roxas was new to the Organization, and so his abilities were not as advanced as the other Nobodies.

Axel opened his mouth to say something else, but he and his blonde-haired companion heard a _wooshing _sound from behind them—the kind of sound that comes from an opening portal to darkness. It could only mean…that one of the other Organization members was arriving. They turned around and saw the cerulean-hared figure of Saix stepping out of the portal.

Immediately, Roxas turned his full attention to his superior. There were harsh punishments for disrespecting one's elders in the Organization.

"Roxas," began Saix. "The Superior requests your presence. You are to report back to headquarters immediately."

Roxas opened his mouth to say something in response, but nothing came out. He tried again, and ended up saying, "Uh…sure. Axel and I will head back when we're finished here."

"I am to escort you there personally." Saix's golden eyes glared at Roxas, commanding him to do as he was told.

The blonde-haired Nobody's eyes widened in surprise. _What about Pooh? I've got to get him home!_

Axel patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Roxas. I'll finish up here and meet you back at the castle."

Roxas, putting his faith in Axel, nodded and hesitantly stepped with Saix into the portal. It closed with a foreboding _wooshing_ sound.

Just moments after Roxas disappeared into the portal, Pooh came running up behind Axel. "Where did Roxas go?" the bear asked.

Axel turned around slightly. "He just went…back to his house," he explained. "Let's go. We've got to get you back to yours."

The bear frowned slightly. He was worried about Roxas. Something didn't seem right with all these men in black coats. They seemed scary and…evil. In fact, Pooh wasn't even sure he could trust Axel, even though he was Roxas's friend. All he really wanted to do was return home so he could eat some more honey.

"Oh, stuff and fluff," muttered Pooh in frustration. "I don't believe I know which way my house is…think, think, think…"

Axel rolled his eyes. _Is this…thing…for real? Where the _heck _do I start looking for a magical book anyway?_ Sighing, he said, "Just follow me."

***********

Meanwhile, Roxas and Saix were arriving in The Castle That Never Was. More precisely, they had arrived right outside the Superior's own quarters. This unnerved Roxas, as the Superior hardly ever asked to talk to one of the Nobodies without the others present.

Saix opened the door. The room had a high, sloped ceiling. On the other side of the room, there was large, multi-paned window with a professional-looking desk sitting in front of it. The Superior himself, Xemnas, was gazing out the window at Kingdom Hearts, which he could see perfectly from the window. The glow of the gigantic heart made the room so bright, Roxas was nearly blinded at first until his eyes adjusted.

Number Seven led the some-what frightened Number Thirteen across the room the desk and announced, "I have brought him."

"Good," replied Xemnas, his back still to them. "Did you also bring the artifact?"

"Yes," the blue-haried man confirmed. He opened his coat and produced…Pooh's storybook. Then, he set it down on the desk. The book looked different, however. Sora and Pooh were missing from the cover. All that remained was Tigger and Piglet walking happily down a dirt path.

Roxas inwardly gasped. _Where did he get that? Did he take it while I was in there?_

Xemnas nodded and turned around. "Thank you."

Saix bowed ever so slightly and stepped towards the side of the desk.

Roxas gulped. _What's he gonna say?_

"…Number Thirteen," Xemnas began. "It has come to my attention that you have not been completing your missions as assigned. Given the fact that you have failed to collect many hearts, I have decided to present to you the opportunity to redeem yourself. This book here--" he picked up the storybook "contains many pure hearts. However, they are being wasted on…animals."

Roxas felt himself pale. _Pooh…his friends…_

"You know what to do."

"…Yes, Superior…" Roxas croaked.

"Good. I am sending this book down to Vexen and Zexion to have it analyzed. There appears to be a magical shield on it. When they have opened it, they shall fetch you."

The golden-haired boy nodded grimly. "Okay."

"This is a simple assignment. I trust you will not fail me again," Xemnas finished, his eyes boring into Roxas's non-existent soul. He handed Saix the book and instructed him on what to do with it. Then, he simple went back to gazing and Kingdom Hearts. Saix began to swiftly walk out of the room. Roxas followed him out.

Once outside, Saix opened a portal that presumably led to Vexen's lab. He spared Roxas only a short glance over his shoulder before stepping into it.

"Psst! Roxas!"

The boy instantly whirled around at the sound of his name. Axel was just around the corner, motioning for Roxas.

"Axel!" whispered Roxas as he ran around the corner to his friend. "We've got a problem!"

"Roxas!" a familiar voice cried happily when its owner saw Roxas.

A smile immediately brightened Roxas's face. He bent down to the bear's level and said, "Pooh! What're you doing here?" Then—"Wait…what _are _you doing here?" He looked questioningly at Axel. The blond-haired boy felt like throwing up. _Pooh shouldn't be here…and I'm supposed to…take his heart…_ While Roxas was happy to see the bear, he was more frightened by the fact that Pooh was _here_, in the place where he least needed to be. Where his heart was greatly sought after.

"…Yeah. About that…" Axel scratched the back of his head. "I kinda…couldn't find the book."

"Yeah. That's because _Saix_ has it."

"What?"

Roxas nodded solemnly. "Th-they want me…to…"

His firey-haired friend leaned forward as if encouraging him on.

Finally, Roxas leaned in and explained his foul chore in a quiet whisper that he was sure Pooh couldn't hear.

Axel's eyes widened. "Well…that's…awkward." He glanced at Pooh, who was looking quizzically at them. Axel sighed. "I don't understand why you can't just open up a portal and send him back yourself."

"Because all of the portals I open send me to random places! I have no idea how to control them!" Roxas shot back. "Besides, why can't you send him back through a portal?"

"It doesn't work like that because—"

_GRuMblE_

The two Nobodies looked down at Pooh who was holding his tummy in a forlorn way. Then, the bear smiled innocently up at them. "I've got a rumbly in my tumbly and no honey to put in there," he said simply.

Axel did a face palm. He was about ready to bang his head against a wall. This was really too much. He'd already had enough of this bear!

Roxas smiled sympathetically at the little bear. "Sorry, Pooh Bear. This isn't the best place to look for honey."

"Oh bother…"

Sighing, Axel said, "I'll go find some."

"Really?" asked Roxas.

"Yeah. There should be some in the kitchen." Axel then opened a portal. "I'll meet you back at your room, ok?"

"Thank you, Ax—" Pooh began, but was quickly silenced by Roxas.

"Shh! Someone's coming!" Sure enough, the trio could hear footsteps echoing through the halls.

"Get going!" Axel whispered urgently.

Roxas scooped Pooh Bear into his arms and dove into the portal just before the Superior himself rounded the corner.

"Ah, Axel. Just who I was looking for…"

**Believe it or not, this was actually a pretty difficult part for me to write…please let me know how I did!**

**The next part will be updated within the month…I've still gotta figure out how I want the next part to go and type it up…so…yeah…**

'**Til next time!**

**BlueandRedButterflies**


	3. Chapter 3

**Whew! I'm exhausted! I've been working really hard on this chapter to get it up quickly, because I suddenly had a burst of inspiration!!!!!**

**Anyway, enjoy and please R&R!**

_True friendship is never serene._

_-Marquise do Sevigne_

The portal practically spit Roxas and his bear friend into the small quarters that served as Roxas's bedroom. Thinking quickly, Roxas jumped up and fastened the lock on the door.

"Whew…" he sighed. _We should be good for a while…_

"Roxas?" Pooh whispered fearfully, looking up at his friend. "What's going on?"

The Nobody looked away as he tried to figure out what to say. _You should have never been caught up in this…_

"Nothing…" Roxas finally replied. "We're just…trying to get you home."

"Oh…" answered Pooh flatly in an unconvinced way. He knew that Roxas was hiding something from him. His golden-haired friend was acting the way Rabbit does when he has a secret he'd rather not tell. That secret usually involves hunny; however, Pooh had a feeling that this time, it was something not as sweet or loveable as his favorite food.

But, Pooh decided that if Roxas wasn't going to tell him the secret, then he wouldn't dwell on it. The bear surveyed the room before him. It also had a high, sloped ceiling and it was starch white with a few spaces on the walls exposing pipes and wiring. There was one bed, one nightstand with one lamp, one window, and one closet. Pooh thought it looked rather small and boring and lonely.

Roxas simply sat on the bed and sighed. "Well, this is my room."

Pooh didn't really hear Roxas. His attention was drawn out the window to the starless night sky and the huge moon-like heart hanging in it. The chubby bear hurried over to the window and stood on his tip-toes, attempting to look out of it. He was fascinated (and a little frightened) by this new place where darkness and nothingness seemed to reside. It was so different from his own place were few things ever changed and everything and everyone was cheerful. Pooh wanted to see more of the world and was about to ask Roxas if he could do so when there was a knock at the door.

Roxas gasped and snatched Pooh away from the window. "Hide in here," he instructed as he quietly opened his closet door.

"Roxas, it's me, Axel!"

"Oh," said Roxas, a little surprised. _That was fast._ "You can come in."

The door handle jiggled before Axel replied, "I can't. It's _locked_."

Roxas sighed and jumped over his bed. "Hold on." He then unlocked the door and opened it for Axel to come in.

"'Bout time!" Axel said, looking a little peeved. "Here." He shoved a small plastic bottle of hunny at Roxas. "I gotta go. I have another mission."

"Oh, okay."

"_And_ I've got a plan for getting his book back," Axel said, nodding to Pooh who had appeared at Roxas's side.

A smiled brightened the younger Nobody's face. "Great!"

"See ya," Axel saluted and created a portal that he promptly stepped into.

Roxas closed the door and refastened the lock. "Okay, Pooh. Here's your hunny."

"Oh! How yummy for my tummy!" Pooh exclaimed before pouring the hunny into his mouth.

Sighing, Roxas flopped down on his bed, exhausted by the day's activities. _Could this day get anymore hectic? _He wondered to himself. He glanced over at Pooh, who was sitting on the floor and thoroughly enjoying his small meal. Roxas smiled. After a few moments, the golden-haired boy picked up his journal and decided to record what had happened that day.

"Oh, bother…" Pooh sighed sadly from the floor when Roxas was only part-way done with his entry. "All the hunny's gone…"

Roxas put his journal back on his nightstand and sat up. "Sorry, Pooh Bear. That's all the hunny we have here."

"Oh, bother…" Pooh said again, looking forlornly at the empty bottle. He attempted to suck the last bit of hunny out, but to no avail. He sadly set it by the door and walked back over to the window, once again trying to get a better look out of it.

Roxas knew just what to do. He got off of his bed and opened his window. Pooh looked questionably at his friend, but Roxas just grinned, picked the bear up, and helped balance him on the window still.

Pooh gasped. "Oh my…" He leaned out the window as far as he could, trying to drink in the sight of the city and castle.

Roxas chuckled softly, but he didn't understand Pooh's fascination with this world of perpetual darkness. There was almost never any wind or sunlight or rain; only lightening and thunder that occasionally came from the clouds of darkness overhead. The world itself was nothing. Nothing ever changed or moved, save for the Heartless and lesser Nobodies that always wondered restlessly around.

At that moment, lightening rippled through the sky, startling both Pooh and Roxas. Pooh shuddered as thunder echoed through the world. "It looks as if a storm is coming."

Roxas's golden spikes rustled as he shook his head. "There are never storms here…" he whispered softly.

Pooh cocked his head to the side and thought about that for a moment or two before asking, "Why?"

"I…don't know," Roxas answered. It was only partly true. The world itself didn't exist, so it wasn't a normal world at all. But he really didn't understand why he had never seen it storm or even rain.

***********

About half an hour later, Roxas was sitting on the floor as he finished writing in his journal. Pooh was on the bed, rocking back and forth and humming a tune he had just made up. The bear had long since lost interest in the window, although he had politely asked Roxas to keep it open.

The Nobody ended his journal entry with the following paragraph:

_It's weird. When I'm around Pooh, I feel different. Like, I actually feel something. I think. I'm not sure, but…maybe. The Superior wants me to take his heart and his friends' hearts. I can't do it. I just can't let anything bad happen to Pooh Bear. I'll do everything I can to get him home safely._

Satisfied with his account of the day's events, Roxas slipped his journal under his bed and out of sight. Then, for lack of anything else to do, he lied down, summoned the Kingdom key, and began twirling it in the air above him.

Pooh stopped humming and watched the keyblade spin. He remembered that Sora had had something like that…But before he could ponder the subject anymore, there was a scratching sound outside the window.

Puzzled, Roxas got up and decided to see what the strange noise was. Before he could even get to the window, a Neoshadow jumped inside his room. Roxas reacted quickly and summoned the Oathkeeper keyblade while simultaneously jumping in front of his bed. The Neoshadow didn't even have time to protect itself before Roxas sliced and diced the Heartless back into darkness. Next, he ran to the window to close it, but was horrified to see that there was a swarm of Heartless outside! The Heartless began to stream in the window, but Roxas managed to close it before too many got in.

However, the few that got in acted quickly.

_I have to get Pooh out of here,_ Roxas thought as he slashed one of the nearby Shadow Heartless. Suddenly, he heard Pooh cry his name. Roxas whirled around, and his sapphire eyes widened in shock.

His bear friend had been backed into a corner, surrounded by three Neoshadows and a couple of Shadows. Pooh's dark orbs met Roxas's blue orbs, pleading for help. Just then, one of the Neoshadows leaped at Pooh, causing him to yell, "Oh! Help!"

"NO!" yelled Roxas. He jumped into the air and brought his keyblade down hard on the Neoshadow in a powerful blow that decimated the creature. Stepping in front of the bear to protect him, Roxas turned his attention to the other dark creatures who were twitching hungrily. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated. _I have to defeat them…_ He breathed in, and then out. Then he unleashed a furry of blows on the beasts which destroyed them.

Panting heavily, Roxas turned around to the aghast bear. "Are you alright?" he asked gently as he knelt to Pooh's level. Unfortunately, the other Heartless outside the window burst into the room at that very moment.

"Shoot," Roxas breathed as he unzipped his robe. "C'mon, Pooh. We've gotta go." But before he could stuff Pooh in his Organization robe to keep him hidden, one of the Shadow Heartless charged at Roxas. It cut into Roxas's back with its claws in an attempt to get him out of the way.

Roxas gasped in pain as the claws tore his back. He barely caught himself from falling forward onto Pooh. The bear eye's held a look of concern and terror. Gathering all his strength, the wounded Nobody unceremoniously grabbed the bear and shoved him into his coat. Roxas zipped the coat up and turned to face the room full of ravenous Heartless. He wrapped his left arm around the lump that was Pooh to keep him stationary and with the other he summoned his Oathkeeper Keyblade. Wasting no time, Roxas began to cut through the sea of Heartless to get to the door. There were so many of them, the room appeared black. The Heartless jumped onto Roxas, trying to get to the precious baggage he carried, but Roxas fought them off.

Finally, he was at the door. The Nobody winced as another Shadow Heartless jumped on his injured back, but he was able to open the door.

Roxas and the army of Heartless flowed into the hallway. The Heartless began jumping around and attacking Roxas even more now that there was more space. The golden-haired Nobody fought off a few Heartless before turning and running down the hallway toward Crooked Ascension, one of the only places in the castle that was safe from Heartless.

All Roxas could hear was his own breath gasping for air and the pound of his own feet and of the approaching Heartless. But then, there was another sound. It was a twangy sort of sound that seemed to drown out the pulse of the Heartless's approach. Roxas gasped and turned around. Standing in the middle of the hallway was a man who was also clothed in all black and holding a large, blue instrument. The man strummed the guitar-like instrument again, and a wall of liquid formed in front of him. When the man plucked another string, the wall shot forward, decimating all of the Heartless in its path.

**Alright! Toaster8000 asked for it, and she got it! Can you guess who else has joined the fray?**

**Also, thanks to Toaster8000 who pointed out some of my mistakes in this chapter!**

**Wow, I'm really surprised that I was able to get this chapter up so quickly! I'm gonna go take a break now, if you don't mind…**

**Sincerely,**

**BlueandRedButterflies**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright! Here's the next chapter! **

**As always, I own nothing, but I appreciate the constructive criticism that many are giving me.**

**I would like to say thank you to my three most frequent reviewers:**

**Toaster8000 (on Quizilla, but I think it still counts)**

**Amaya-Admired**

**Dancin' Dani 11**

**Thank you guys so much! Enjoy!**

"_Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, but somewhere in the middle we've become the best of friends." -Unknown_

At first, Roxas was stunned. Then, collected himself and cast a healing spell to repair his back and some other minor injuries he had received.

Demyx turned around to Roxas. "That won't hold them off for long! Let's go!"

Sure enough, more Heartless were already emerging from Roxas's room. Roxas gasped and followed Demyx to the elevator.

Once he made it inside Crooked Ascension, Number Nine started the elevator. Roxas breathed deeply, attempting to catch the breath that was in intent on eluding him. Sighing, he leaned up against the wall and slid to the floor with relief.

Demyx walked over to the boy. "What was _that_ about?" he asked.

Before Roxas could answer, Pooh wriggled in his coat. The bear tried to get his attention, but instead, ended up poking him in the side, a very ticklish place for Roxas! The golden-haired Nobody laughed and squirmed, trying to get the bear to stop!

"Pooh!" he gasped, his laughter filling the room. "S-stop it! Ha ha ha!"

Pooh promptly poked his head out next to Roxas's. "Are they gone?" he asked quietly.

Roxas's laughter died. "Yeah. They're gone. You don't have to hide anymore." _Since Demyx knows you're here, now…_

The bear smiled faintly. "Thank goodness!" He had been so frightened during the battle, with the darkness of the cloak covering him and only Roxas's arm around him to reassure him of his safety. Not to mention the fact that Pooh knew Roxas was being hurt for him, which made the bear feel bad and a little…guilty.

"Who's this?" Demyx asked, bending down next to Roxas and Pooh.

"This is Pooh Bear," explained Roxas. "Pooh, this is Demyx."

"Hey, there!" Demyx patted Pooh's head playfully.

"Hello," Pooh said. He was beginning to wonder how he would be able to tell all the people in black coats apart!

Roxas unzipped his coat and gently placed Pooh in his lap while Demyx asked, "So, what are you doing here, Pooh?"

The bear smiled. "Roxas and Axel are helping me get home!"

"Cool, I can help, too!" Then Demyx raised his eyebrows. "Wait-_Axel's_ helping, too?" Somehow, he couldn't imagine Axel putting up with this bear for very long… "Where is he?"

"He's on a mission right now," Roxas explained. "When he gets back, we can get Pooh out of here."

Frowning, the other Nobody asked, "Why do you say it like that?"

"Because," Roxas said, "this isn't a safe place for him to be! You saw all those Heartless! Not to mention that the Superior wants me to--" luckily, he caught himself before he spilled the beans about Xemnas's plan.

"What?" probed Demyx. "What're you supposed to do?"

"N-nothing…"

"C'mon, Roxas! You can tell me!"

"I-It's nothing, really."

Demyx sighed. "Alright, if you say so." He then leaned back against the wall by Roxas, obviously unconvinced. Silence, along with a layer of apprehension and tension lay in the air. Now, more than ever, Pooh was sure that Roxas was hiding something from him. He was just about to ask about it when the elevator doors opened. The sudden bang startled Pooh, causing him to jump and hide behind Roxas.

The Nobody laughed. "It's ok, Pooh," he stood up and took Pooh's paw. The trio began walking out of the elevator, but…

"What the-"

"They're _everywhere_!"

"Oh my goodness!" Pooh hid behind Roxas again upon seeing the "welcoming committee". It was another army of twitching, malevolent Heartless that instantly jumped at Roxas and Demyx.

Roxas drew his keyblade just in time to prevent the Neoshadow from doing any damage to himself or Pooh. He thrusted and parried with his Keyblade before delivering the final blow to just one of the dozens of Heartless lining the hallway.

"Dance water, dance!" shouted Demyx, playing his sitar. Dancer Nobodies shot up from the ground and began attacking the Heartless. Then, Demyx pushed Roxas back into the elevator and commanded, "Go! I'll take care of them and meet you back up here in a few minutes!"

Roxas nodded and started the elevator. Pooh looked up at Roxas and whispered, "Roxas, I'm really scared. Please tell me what's happening."

Once again, the golden-haired Nobody looked away, not wanting to tell his friend the bad news. Roxas didn't answer. _It'll hurt too much…_

Crooked Ascension suddenly halted. Roxas looked around, worried that something was happening. Then, it rose only for a few moments before it stopped completely and opened its doors. Curious but cautious, Roxas briefly looked out into the hallway. No one was there at the moment, but he could hear footsteps approaching. Soon, another Organization member with his hood pulled up came into view near the end of the hallway, heading strait towards Crooked Ascension!

_Oh no…_ Roxas inwardly groaned. He looked around for someplace to hide, but upon finding no such place, quickly pulled Pooh out of site of the door way. He bent down and gripped Pooh's arms, forcing the bear to look and listen to him. "Listen, there are some really bad people after you right now, Pooh," Roxas explained urgently and a little panic-y. "So I'm gonna need you to be quiet and not move."

The bear, a little taken aback, nodded. Then, Roxas wrapped his arm under Pooh's arms and draped his coat over him. Roxas tried his best to make it look like he had simply taken his coat off and hung it over his arm.

However, the member that stepped into the elevator was not convinced.

"Roxas? What the heck are you doing?" The man pulled down his hood, revealing his face.

"Axel!" cried Roxas as the doors to Crooked Ascension slid close and the whole room began to rise. "What're you doing here? Weren't you on a mission?"

"Yeah, but I ditched Xaldin," Axel casually replied. "He had everything under control." He eyed Roxas's coat. "And what are you hiding under there?"

Roxas laughed. "Pooh." He lifted off his coat to show Pooh Bear, who simply smiled at Axel. "I thought you were somebody else, so…yeah…"

"Uh huh. _That_ worked well."

Just then, the trio arrived at their destination. The doors opened to reveal Demyx, who had been waiting for them.

"Hey, Axel! You're back!" Demyx exclaimed happily.

"Yep."

Roxas set Pooh down and the three of them stepped off the elevator.

"Alright. Now we can get down to business," Axel crossed his arms over his chest.

Roxas and Demyx nodded. "Right," they replied together.

"Demyx and I will go get the book; you and Pooh wait here and we'll be back soon."

Roxas nodded. Pooh's interest was directed from the conversation to some very interesting doodles on the wall…

"What book?" Demyx questioned. "I'm really confused!"

The fiery-haried Nobody sighed. "Come 'ere…" he pulled Demyx aside and told him the whole story. Meanwhile, Roxas distracted Pooh by asking him a few questions about his home. He really didn't have to. The strange scratches entertained Pooh enough.

"Oh…I understand now! Don't worry, Axel!" Demyx said as he opened a portal and gave the others a thumbs up and a wink. Roxas and Axel both gave him confused and disbelieving looks. Pooh, joining the conversation again, just wondered at what they were all saying. "I've got a plan! See you guys later!"

"Wait, Demyx! I--" but Demyx had already stepped through the portal. Axel sighed. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

"Me too…" agreed Roxas.

Pooh reached up and gripped Roxas's hand, praying his newest friend didn't get in any trouble.

***********

And so, Roxas, Axel, and Pooh waited for what seemed like hours in that small, dead-end hallway.

Pooh paced up and down, humming another tune that was different than before. Axel simply leaned against the wall, and Roxas sat next to him, lost in his thoughts. So many questions and worries plagued the young Nobody's mind, he was having trouble sorting them all. The one thought that came back every so often and was the clearest in Roxas's mind was _What the _heck_ is this hallway for, anyway?_ The rest were confused, jumbled puzzle pieces of problems that, unbeknownst to Roxas, will soon be put together.

But not before a few more pieces of confusion are added to the pile.

It wasn't long before the golden-colored bear turned to Roxas and said in a rather…_off_-sounding voice, "Roxas…I don't feel…very…"

Of course, Roxas's attention was turned to the bear just long enough to see his eyes flutter…and close. Pooh fell to the floor.

"Pooh Bear!" Roxas cried. He jumped up and ran to his friend. Then, he rolled the bear over onto his back. "Pooh, can you hear me?"

"What happened?" Axel asked as he came closer.

"I don't know!" exclaimed Roxas. "He…he just collapsed!" Needless to say, Roxas was worried about the bear. _What's happening?_ he thought. _Maybe…he's hungry?_ "I've got hunny!" Roxas said in what he hoped was a less fretful-sounding voice and more of a tempting one.

The bear didn't stir.

**Dun dun DUN!!!!**

**Oh noes! Pooh!**

**XD Ok, I've got some questions for you guys! Please review and answer them!**

**Do you think the story is too intense to have Pooh in it? I was trying to balance out the intensity of Kingdom Hearts and the innocent happiness of the Hundred Acre Wood, without it being…well…boring or kiddy. So, please tell me if I hit the right note!**

**How exactly do you guys think Demyx will get the book back? I'll let you know soon; it'll probably be an extra chapter. (I'm milking this story for all that it's worth! XD kidding!)**

**How did you guys become interested in Kingdom Hearts? I'd like to know! Send me a message! I promise I'll relpy!**

***sigh* The next chapter shall be the final one…except for some extra chapters I'm already planning…do you guys think I should add some? They'd be in each character's point of view (Pooh, Roxas, Axel, and maybe even Demyx's). They wouldn't be full chapters, just a small synopsis of what each character might have thought or felt (or not felt) during the course of the story. I don't know. I'm defiantly doing one on Pooh, though!**

**XD Thanks for letting me ramble!**

**See you guys next time!**

**Sincerely,**

**BRB**


	5. Chapter 5

***sniff* The last chapter…here it is!**

**Still don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters here…got it memorized? It's just fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended. But you guys knew this, right?**

"_A good friend is hard to find, hard to lose, and impossible to forget…"_

_-Unknown_

Roxas was clearing starting to panic now. "Pooh? Pooh! C'mon, Pooh Bear! You've gotta wake up!" he called.

"Quiet, Roxas!" Axel warned. "Do you want someone to hear you? Besides, look." He pointed to the bear. "He's alright. He's still breathing. C'mon. Let's go find Demyx and get back to Hollow Bastion." _We've got to set things right._ The fiery-haired Nobody opened a portal that led to the same floor as Vexen and Zexion's labs.

The younger Nobody nodded and gently picked up the bear, holding him as one would hold a sleeping child. Then, he stepped into the portal, followed by Axel.

***********

Meanwhile, the lovable Nobody known as Demyx was experiencing pure terror.

"DEMYX!" a very infuriated voice yelled.

_Heh…oh boy…_ thought Demyx. _ Saix's mad._

"NUMBER NINE!"

_Oh great…Vexen too?_

"Demyx, I must insist that you give us back that book! The Superior demands that we release the seal on it!" called a third voice.

…_ok, that's definitely Zexion…and he's _angry_! _Demyx fearfully thought as he quickly rounded the corner, wondering where he could hide next. His mission to retrieve the book had been successful, but his plan to be sneaky about it…well…not so successful.

_Shoot, I thought the water would've held them off! Not to mention the books and soap… How in the world did they figure out it was me, anyway?!_

Demyx gasped for breath (which wasn't easy with his hood up), searching desperately for someplace to hide before his elders maimed him for the rest of his non-existent life for disrupting their various projects and experiments.

_Oh yeah…the water was probably a dead giveaway. Oops. Heh._

Finally, Demyx found a closet that held various chemicals. He slipped inside and slammed the door shut. Sighing with relief, the Nobody slid to the floor, still gripping the storybook. Then, he heard voices outside the door that he could distinguish as Vexen, Zexion, and Saix. Demyx made out the words "punish", "hearts", "book", "kill", and "wait until I get my hands on that little knave" (presumably from Vexen) before they ceased. The golden-haired Nobody heard footsteps going in different directions. He waited several moments until he thought it was safe before opening the door, looking both ways. He wasn't the only one in the hallway, though.

"Demyx!" called Axel, motioning to the other Nobody. He was in the middle of the hallway where another corridor intersected with this one, right before Vexen and Zexion's labs. "Over here!"

"Axel!" cried Demyx indignantly. "Shh! I don't want them to--"

"DEMYX!" Saix yelled as he came into view at the other end of the hallway. He had a crazy look in his eyes, and neither Demyx nor Axel had any desire to deal with him.

The red head blinked. "Oh."

"Eek!" cried Demyx as Saix walked briskly down the hallway towards him. Demyx ran to Axel, pushing him back into the other corridor. "Go! Go go go go go go go go go go!!"

"What's going on?" Roxas asked from behind Axel. His brow was furrowed in worry and confusion. Demyx didn't even notice the unconscious Pooh in his arms.

"They're after me! JUST GO!"

Axel quickly opened a portal. Roxas didn't have time to ask any questions before he was pushed into it ahead of Axel.

***********

Roxas stumbled out of the portal back into the mid-night Market Place in Hollow Bastion, followed soon after by an unusually calm Axel and an unusually freaked-out Demyx.

"Whew…we made it…" sighed Demyx.

"Did you get the book?" Roxas asked eagerly.

"Yep!" Demyx opened his cloak and brandished the aged storybook. "It's right here!"

"Do you think they got into it?"

Demyx shrugged. "Probably not. I snuck into the lab when they took a break or something." _Then_ he noticed Pooh. "Whoa! What happened to him? He doesn't look to good…"

"I know," Roxas answered, looking down at the sleeping bear in concern. "One minute, he was fine and walking around, and the next minute, he just collapsed!"

Then, Axel took charge of the situation. "Alright, Roxas. Do you remember _anything_ about where you found that book?"

"Uh…I remember that it was by the market place…and that it was kinda run-down…oh! And the door had some kind of faded plaque hanging on it!"

Axel sighed. "Ok, it's not much but—"

"Oh, that'll be easy to find!" Demyx exclaimed loudly. He was quickly hushed by his friends.

"Shh! We don't want anyone to hear us!" Roxas whispered fiercely.

"Oh. Sorry," Demyx whispered back.

The fiery-haired Nobody rubbed the bridge of his nose, praying for patience. "Just be quiet, stick together, and find the house!"

The blonde Nobodies nodded. "Gotcha."

So, the three started searching for the building. They tried to be as quiet as possible, but it was hard when the Heartless attacked. Being more active at night, the Heartless came in droves and attacked fiercely. Generally, Demyx and Axel did a good job of keeping Roxas and Pooh in between them and protecting them, but Roxas occasionally had to use his keyblade. He was thankful that Pooh wasn't awake for it, as he was sure the little bear had had enough of the monsters.

"Wow," Demyx said as he rested on his sitar after one battle. "They're really hitting us hard tonight!"

"Yeah," Axel said as he sheathed his chakrams.

Roxas glanced down at the bear in his arms and noticed a surprising new symptom. His eyes widened. Pooh's color was fading, although he was still breathing. "Guys! He's getting worse!" a frightened Roxas called.

Demyx looked over at Pooh, concern written on his face, while Axel briefly glanced over his shoulder and said, "Let's keep going, then." So they did. Little did they know that they were being followed…

***********

Merlin the Wizard was enduring yet another sleepless night at his new house in Hollow Bastion. In his opinion, the bed was too creaky and hard. Unfortunately, this was the best mattress he could find. The aged wizard tossed and turned, attempting to find a single soft (or at least comfortable) spot on the mattress. But it wasn't only the bed keeping him awake. Merlin's mind was swarming with excited, worried thoughts, now that he and his friends had moved back to Hollow Bastion; thoughts of all they planned to do in the recovering world. Once again, he tossed and turned, but had no luck and with a sigh, pulled himself into a sitting position. Then, he stood up and exited bedroom to take a walk and clear his mind. *

"Oh my…" he softly tutted when he saw the time—and Cid asleep at the computer, snoring so loudly even the largest, most gruesome Heartless would cower in fear at the noise. The wizard didn't even notice Leon sitting against the wall until he spoke.

"Can't sleep?"

"Not with the racket going on in here!" Merlin declared, even though Cid's snoring had nothing to do with his insomnia. The man smirked and continued the calculations he was performing in his notebook. "What are you doing up, Leon?"

"I'm planning our next attack on the Heartless. If all goes well, we should take out quiet a few of them." Leon answered as he continued to scribble on the page.

Merlin sighed. _That man never sleeps…_ he thought. "Well, I'm going out to take a walk. I'll be back soon."

Leon simply nodded in response as Merlin walked out the door into the Borough. Whistling softly to himself, the old wizard continued walking through the Borough to the Market Place, enjoying the tranquility and beauty of the sleeping world. That's when he noticed three strange figures having a discussion. They were clothed in black and had eccentric hair and weapons. The magician's brow furrowed in confusion and continued to watch the trio, following closely behind as they walked up to different doors and inspected them. _What on earth are they looking for?_ Merlin wondered to himself. Just then, one of the persons apparently found the door they were looking for and called the others over. One nodded his head as if to say it was the right one, and the three quietly made their way inside. _That's my library!_ Merlin thought, slightly surprised and enraged that these youth would be so brash as to trespass in _his_ library. He decided to put an end to this (whatever it was), so he walked bravely up to the door and opened it.

***********

"Yeah, this is it," Roxas nodded to confirm that Demyx had found the right building. Demyx smiled proudly and opened the door for Roxas and Axel. As they walked inside, Roxas shifted Pooh to his other arm, because his left arm was cramping. The trio looked around the room, taking in the sea of scattered books.

"Ahem!" a voice behind them cleared its throat. The three Nobodies froze.

_Crap!_ Thought Roxas. _We are so busted!_

"What are you three ruffians doing in here?"

Guiltily, they turned around to face an old man with a long beard, clad in a cobalt robe and hat. The man's face held a stern look, until Roxas revealed the sleeping bear in his arms. Almost instantly, the man's expression changed to one of concern and surprise.

"Oh my…" he whispered as he walked closer to the boy. "What happened?"

Roxas's brow furrowed in confusion. The man seemed familiar…but it almost felt like he had only seen the man briefly in a dream…so, he asked, "Who are you?"

"Ah, I almost forgot! I am Merlin the Wizard. This is my library that you boys have stumbled upon."

_Merlin…_

"Yeah…sorry about that…" Roxas said, a small blush of embarrassment spreading across his cheeks.

"Now, perhaps you can tell me your names and what you are doing here."

"Umm..." Roxas looked toward Axel, as if questioning if it was a good idea to tell the wizard.

"Our names aren't important, got it memorized?" Axel bluntly said. "We're just returning a book and we'll be out of your hair soon."

"Yes, I can see that," Merlin answered, staring at Axel as if he could decipher what they were _really_ doing here. "But what I cannot understand is what Winnie the Pooh is doing out of his storybook." He frowned, clearly expecting some kind of explanation from the boys.

"Uh…we found the book…in the street!" Demyx quickly explained. Axel's face and palm collided with one another upon hearing this. "And when Ro-I mean, _we _tried to read it, he got sucked in!" Demyx triumphantly finished, motioning to Roxas.

"Y-you see," Roxas said, hopefully trying to explain more. "Pooh and I were being chased by bees, so we ran away…and…ended up back here."

Merlin thought they were suspicious, but he decided to deal with that issue later. "Oh dear…" the old wizard sighed. "He doesn't look very well…he must have been out of the book for too long…" He stepped closer to Roxas and waved his hand over Pooh's forehead. It glowed green for a moment and then returned back to normal.

Roxas was puzzled. "What did you do to him?" The Nobody asked, clutching the bear protectively.

"Oh, don't worry. I cast a simple spell that will only make him forget his time outside the forest," the wizard clarified.

_He…won't remember me at all… _Roxas thought as he looked down at the bear. _No…_

"Now, let's get him back were he belongs." Merlin took the book from Demyx, opened it, and placed it on the pedestal.

"Huh?" Demyx asked. "Uh…_we_ tried opening it earlier, and it wouldn't open! How could you do it?"

"Only certain people can open the book, and even fewer can actually enter it," Merlin explained. "Alright, if you would be so kind...?" he motioned to Roxas, who nodded and entered the book again.

Roxas floated down onto the page and landed gently. He recognized the sign for Pooh's house, and walked towards it.

In the Hundred Acre Wood, it was also nighttime. Crickets chirped loudly and fireflies blinked on and off. The dirt under Roxas's boots crunched softly and the Nobody slowly made his way to Pooh's house.

_This is it…this is good-bye…_ The golden-haired Nobody looked down at the bear for the millionth time. _Pooh Bear…_ then Roxas smiled affectionately. The color had returned to the bear, and he now had a pleasant expression on his face instead of a strained one.

Now, Roxas was at the front door. He opened it and entered Pooh's humble, one-room house. It had a few cupboards and chairs. As Roxas walked farther into the room, he ducked his head to avoid hitting the ceiling. There was a full-length mirror sitting to his left, with a nightstand and bed next to it. The Nobody sat on the small bed, which moaned and creaked under his weight, and took in the rest of the room. The room must have been carved from the tree, as the walls and floor appeared to have been made entirely out of wood. There were a few pictures here and there, some of bees, but mostly of hunny.

Roxas chuckled. "Pooh…" he whispered. "Even if you forget me, I could never forget you." He pulled the bear into a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you…" Was it Roxas's imagination, or did Pooh gently hug him back?

The golden-haired boy decided that it was time to get back to his own world. He got up, placed the bear in the bed, and tucked him in. Roxas got up to leave, but stole one last look at Pooh, who was now snoring softly. _Good bye, Pooh,_ Roxas smiled sadly, and then departed from the house.

As Roxas walked back down the path and out of the book, he felt like something was stirring in his chest, where his heart should be. _Where it _should_ be,_ he thought a little bitterly. _'Cause I don't have one._ Roxas savored the memories he had of Pooh and their time together, because they were a part of the few memories Roxas had; and they were as sweet as hunny to him.

When Roxas jumped out of the book, he saw Axel, Demyx, and Merlin discussing something. The three turned to look at him as soon as he materialized.

"Right. Ok, we'll be going now," Axel said, grabbing Roxas's wrist and dragging him out of the library. Demyx waved to Merlin before following the others.

"What was that about?" demanded Roxas, wrenching free from Axel's grasp.

"We had to get out of there. He was asking too many questions about us."

Roxas made a face. _I still don't understand some things about the Organization…_

"But what if Saix finds the book again?" Roxas questioned.

"Don't worry, little buddy!" Demyx patted Roxas's shoulder. "Merlin said he'd put another seal on the book so no one can find it, and he also said he'd hide it!"

_That's good, _thought Roxas. "Let's go home."

Demyx laughed uneasily. "Let's not. Saix, Vexen, and Zexion are gonna be _so_ angry at me for flooding the labs…not to mention the Superior!"

"You _flooded_ the _labs_?!" Axel exclaimed. "_That_ was your big plan?"

"Well…yeah!"

Axel smacked the back of Demyx's head. "Idiot. We could've just distracted them and snuck in to get the book!"

"Oh…yeah…I guess we could've done that…"

The fiery-haired Nobody sighed. "Well, you've gotta face the music sometime, Demyx!"

"Wait, I'm the only one facing the music?! You guys were the ones who wanted me to get the book!"

"Yeah, but _you_ were the only one seen sneaking into the labs. And _you're_ the only person in the castle that can control water."

Demyx paled. "Oh. Right." The look on his face said, _I am so screwed_.

Axel chuckled evilly. "Alright, Water Boy. Let's go." He opened a portal and starting pushing Demyx into it.

"NOOO!" Demyx cried. "ROXAS! SAVE ME!"

"Shut up! Someone's gonna hear you!" Axel scolded. Demyx was now all the way in the portal. "You comin', Roxas?"

Roxas wasn't paying attention. He was still looking back at Merlin's library, where he could see Pooh's storybook through the window. Merlin appeared to be casting a spell on it.

_Please…_ Roxas silently prayed. _Stay safe…_

"Hello! Earth to Roxas!"

"Huh?" the golden-haired Nobody spun around.

"Are you coming, or are you gonna stay here all night?" Axel asked impatiently.

"No, I'm coming…" Roxas answered as he followed Axel and Demyx into the portal.

He would never forget the small bear named Winnie the Pooh…

*** I gave Merlin his own room. In Kingdom Hearts II, Merlin has his own house, but you never see a bed! So, I gave Merlin his own bedroom! ^.^**

**XD Ok, I suck at endings…**

**Basically, what happens after this is that Merlin keeps the book hidden, but he looses it sometime before KHII…then Sora comes, Merlin finds it, but Sora only vaguely remembers what happened, because to him, Roxas's memories are like a dream. They might've been forgotten when Sora awoke, because he doesn't seem to remember anything about Organization XIII… Kinda like how Sora's memories are like a dream to Roxas…**

**Did that make any sense? Message me if it didn't, and I'll do my best to explain it.**

…**And this marks the end of my first multi-chapter KH fanfiction…*sniff* honestly, I'm sad it's over…**

**But never fear! I have two extra chapters planned! (I'm not sure when I'll get them up…but…I will write them!)**

**Also, I'm taking requests for KH I or KH II one-shots. Soon, I'll be making a DNAngel love story staring Satoshi! Did anyone else think it was completely **_**wrong **_**that the key to Satoshi's transformation was DAISUKE?! EW! Satoshi's so hot, he deserves his own girl! (Not guy!)**

**My story will be based off of the manga (since I can carry that around with me and plan out my story), and maybe a little off of the anime, since the manga isn't actually finished…**

**XD Actually, the whole reason I'm even making the Satoshi ove story is because of this dream I had once…**

**Anyway, I'm rambling again.**

**I'd like to thank all those who read this story. It really means a lot to me!**

**Just one question: Did I keep everybody in character? (I did my very best, so please let me know!)**

**Hmm…my favorite parts of writing this story were the fighting scenes, the short scene in this chapter with Demyx running from Vexen, Zexion, and Saix, and the scene between Merlin, Leon, and Cid. My least favorite part was having to describe Pooh's impact upon Roxas…'cause ROXAS **_**DOESN'T HAVE A STUPID HEART!!!!**_** Do you know how hard it is to peer into someone's innermost thoughts and feelings when **_**THEY DON'T HAVE EMOTIONS?!?!?!?!**_

**Ok, I feel better now. Thank you for your time, please review!!**

**Sincerely,**

**BlueandRedButterflies**


	6. Ending Thoughts

**Um…sorry. This is a really crappy chapter…I don't even think it could be considered a chapter! It's just some ending thoughts from Roxas and Pooh that I tried to mold into a story, but couldn't figure out how…so here they are…**

**Ending thought that I never figured out how to put into a story, but you guys probably need to know anyway…**

Winnie the Pooh woke up the next morning feeling as though he had had a frightening, yet wonderful dream. But he couldn't remember. The little bear remembered something about black coats and blue eyes…but that was all he could recall.

As it turns out, the rest of the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood had been quite worried about Pooh. They hadn't seen him for the entire afternoon and had actually gone searching for him! But try as he might, Pooh Bear could not remember the reason for his absence.

Later in the day, Pooh went to his thoughtful place to think about things.

_It's quite puzzling,_ he thought. _Being away and not knowing why…I'm sure something important happened…but what?_ The bear tapped his head, hoping to bring back some memories of the afternoon. He couldn't recollect anything after he had stepped outside his to get some honey from the honey tree…

_Even if you forget me, I could never forget you…_

The words seemed to resonate from nowhere. Pooh looked this way and that, trying to find the owner of the strange message.

"Who…who's there?" he asked, a little afraid to find out. No one answered him, so Pooh went back to sitting and think and pondering.

After a while, everyone forgot about Pooh's strange disappearance. Even Pooh. Life went on in the Hundred Acre Wood as it should…

**Roxas's closing thoughts:**

Soon after Demyx, Axel, and I returned to the World that Never Was, it started to rain and even storm for the first time. Xemnas said that it was a sign that our world was moving and changing. He also said that we needed to work faster to obtain our goal.

I'm still not sure what our goal _is_. Most of us aren't.

Anyway, Demyx was, of course, punished severely for the damage he caused to the labs and for "loosing" the storybook. He also has to clean the labs every week for a year.

…It's been a while since I've seen Pooh. I wonder how he's doing…no one's mentioned his storybook, so I guess Merlin's kept it well hidden…

Axel and Demyx say that when I was with Pooh, I was a completely different person. Axel often says that I talked a lot more around him. I think I did, too. For my first week in the Organization, I was so out of it. I didn't talk much…but since meeting Pooh, I guess I've started to talk a little more…

Xion says that she thinks Pooh would be a fun bear to meet. Axel's trying to convince her otherwise. I'm not really sure he "enjoyed" the chaos that Pooh's arrival caused…

…I'll miss Pooh, but I've gotta stop thinking about him. I know I'll never see him again, and I've got more important things to worry about…

**THE FOLLOWING IS **_NOT_** A SPOLER!!!!!**

**In Kingdom Hearts, 358/2 Days (THIS IS**_ NOT_** A SPOILER, I PROMISE!), Axel and Roxas talk about how zoned out Roxas was during his first week of being a member of the Organization and how he didn't talk much. So, this kinda shows how Pooh's heart affected Roxas (being Sora's Nobody and all) and made him act different and possibly even feel…then, when Pooh went home, Roxas returned to his normal, sulky self.**

**Ah, yes…the Demyx extra chapter…I have no idea when that'll be up! I'll probably write it soon…oh! And Xion's going to be in it! ^.^ I…cracked. I watched all the cutscenes from KH 358/2 Days…I couldn't stop crying! I'm even more excited for the game now!!!!! So, I just had to put Xion in somewhere! (Plus I promised someone I'd put her in, and realized just a few weeks ago I TOTALLY FORGOT!!!! Sorry to whoever I promised her to!).**

**In the meantime, I'm working on another fanfic, called "Welcome to the Real World!" It's about what happens when the Kingdom Hearts characters pop up in the REAL world! It's actually got a storyline, though. A big one!! ^. - Please check it out and let me know what you think!**

**Alright, now that that bit of self-advertising is over, thanks for reading!**

**TTYL!**

**BRB**


	7. The Demyx Chapter

**Well, here it is! The long-awaited Demyx Chapter! ^.^ Sorry it took so long for me to make this. I've had a lot going on lately, since public school is starting next week…**

**I've had this part of the story in my head since Demyx entered the picture, but I didn't think it would be appropriate to stick this in during the middle of the climax. So here is what REALLY happened inside of Vexen's lab…**

Deep within the Castle that Never Was, two cloaked and hooded Nobodies were quietly sneaking down a hallway. One of the figures, a girl, defensively gripped a Keyblade in her hand. The other moved carefully along one of the walls, inadvertently humming a spy song just a little too loudly.

"Demyx…" the girl whispered cautiously. "Are you sure about this?"  
The man stopped humming long enough to flash a thumbs-up to the girl and whisper, "Of course! Trust me, Xion! This is gonna be a piece of cake!"

Number Fourteen nodded nervously and followed Number Nine down the hallway. Soon, the duo heard voices.

"I must thank you again for coming down to assist us, Number Seven," they heard Vexen's voice say from around the corner. "This seal has been an extremely difficult one to crack."

From under her hood, Xion's eyes widened. _What if they find us?_ she worried. _We'll be in so much trouble!_

Thankfully, the two Nobodies heard the footsteps and the voices fading away.

Demyx waited for a moment before motioning Xion to follow him. They snuck around the left corner and came face-to-face with what appeared to be a solid steal door with the Roman numerals _IV_ engraved at the top.

Demyx nodded to Xion. "Go ahead; do your thing!"

The girl nodded and raised her Keyblade. The tip shone brightly, and so did the keyhole on the door. A small _click!_ echoed through the empty hallway.

Once again, Demyx flashed a thumbs up to Xion. "Thanks!"

The other Nobody smiled half-heartedly. "Don't mention it," she said as she turned to go.

"Don't worry; I won't," assured Demyx as he carefully opened the door to Vexen's lab. As soon as the door was fully opened, Demyx was hit with the fumes of a thousand different chemicals. The Nobody staggered backward, blinking his already watery eyes.

_Whoa!_ thought Demyx. _What does Vexen keep in here?!_

The golden-haired Nobody soon found out.

Once Demyx had fully entered the lab, he gawked at its size. He immediately regretted it, and pulled his cloak over his nose and mouth to protect them from the fumes. The reason for his being in the lab was momentarily forgotten as he surveyed the room.

The laboratory was massive, nearly the size of the Nobodies' lounge, though the ceiling was much lower. The grey walls were lined with shelves, and on them, sat beakers of chemicals in every color imaginable. Demyx was awestruck by the fancy containers holding powders and other minerals, as well as some cages holding animals. Several examination tables sat in the middle of the room, as well as some counters for conducting experiments. The only sounds were the hum of some odd machines sitting under or even on some shelves and the squeaking of the nervous and hungry mice.

The Nobody walked farther into the room, gawking at everything around him. Then, he noticed some rather gruesome looking instruments hanging on the far wall. He shivered involuntarily as he looked away. He didn't even want to THINK about what Vexen did in here when he was bored…especially to those cute little mice in the cage over there…or what those huge, human-sized capsules in the far-right corner were for... *

Demyx shook his head to clear it of the disturbing images that were trying to invade it. He looked around the room, and his gaze fell upon a beaker full of the most beautiful shade of indigo that Demyx had ever seen. He felt instantly drawn to it and found himself walking towards it.

"Pretty…" he whispered to no one in particular as he picked up the vile. Number Nine examined it, turning it this way and that. "Hmm…what does it do?" he wondered aloud. It didn't take long for the curious Nobody to find out, because the next moment, some of the potion splashed on the floor. Demyx's eyes widened in horror as he watched what had to be an acid eat through the metal flooring. He yelped in surprised and jumped away from the hole, accidentally knocking the shelves and causing more potions to spill onto the floor! Some chemicals turned the floor orange, others ate away at it, and other potions mixed with a hissing sound and created a cloud of black smog.

Demyx's jaw dropped in fear. _Great,_ he thought. _How do I clean _this _up?!_ The answer presented itself immediately to Demyx. _I've got it! I'll just use some water and that mop over there and I'll be done in a jiffy!_

The Nobody carefully put the purple potion back on the shelf before he summoned his sitar.

"Dance water, dance!" he commanded. Nothing happened. Puzzled, he tried again.

"Dance water, dance!" Still, no water came to his aid.

Demyx frowned. "I _said_, **DANCE WATER, DANCE**!!!!"

This time, the Melodious Nocturne heard something creak and break above his head. He barely had time to look up before water from an overhead pipe spilled onto him and into the room!

"Gah, blech!" spat Demyx as he tried to rid his mouth of the foul taste. Then, he saw the murky, brown water collecting on the floor. _Oh boy,_ he thought. _Vexen isn't going to be very happy about this…_

The water continued to pour into the room.

"Ah! Um…stop water, stop!!!!" yelled Demyx. He waved his hands wildly, trying to get the water to stop pouring onto the floor and go back into the pipe where it belonged. The liquid just ended up being flung across all across the room and onto the strange machines!

Demyx's jaw dropped as the machines sputtered…crackled…and died. Everything in the room was still, save for the water. Even the mice were watching the clumsy newcomer in anticipation.

"Oh…Vexen's gonna kill me!" Demyx cried as his sitar vanished and he held his head in his hands. "How'm _I_ gonna fix this?" He glanced back up at the pipe, but it was broken cleanly in half. Even if Demyx was able to get the water to flow back into the pipe, he'd have to stay there long enough and concentrate hard on it to keep it there until someone came back to fix it…and Demyx did _not_ want to be there when Vexen arrived!

Suddenly, a question popped into Demyx's mind. "Wait…what _am_ I supposed to be doing in here?" He thought for a moment. _Let's see…Axel and Roxas wanted me to help with something…hmm…didn't it have something to do with that bear?_

While Demyx thought, he was completely oblivious to the water filling the room. It was now nearly knee-high!

_What was his name again…? Umm…Pooh! Pooh Bear!_ Demyx snapped his fingers. _That's it! I'm looking for his storybook so we can send him home!_ The Nobody glanced around the room. _There it is!_ He waded through the water to the middle examination table. _Why didn't I notice this before?_ he wondered. The Nobody carefully picked up the book and examined it. _It looks ok…I don't think Vexen, Zexion, or Saix got into it…It's hard to believe that that bear came out of this small book!_ Demyx turned the book over in his hands. _Wow…_

Then, something brushed Demyx's leg! The Nobody involuntarily yelped and jumped to the side. It was one of Zexion's books that had fallen into the rising water.

_Oh boy…this has gotten out of control…well, maybe if I raise the water a little bit, it could distract them while I get out of here…_

Number Nine surveyed the room. It was in total disarray, nothing like the orderly state it had been in when Demyx arrived. Books, tools, and beakers were floating in the multicolored liquid. Demyx wasn't even sure what he was standing in could be considered water because of all the chemicals that had been dumped into it…

As he watched, the cage of mice floated by him. It almost looked like they were waving at him… Demyx blamed this on the strange fumes he'd breathed in, although he found himself waving back at them.

"Alright, now to get to work!" Demyx tucked Pooh's storybook safely inside a pocket and rolled up his sleeves.

***********

About five minutes later, Demyx was finished. He had found a big bottle of dishwashing liquid and poured it into the waist-high water. He splashed around a bit, creating large bubbles and a lot of foam. It was almost like a giant bubble bath! (Except that Demyx was sure the water wasn't safe to drink… **)

Next, Demyx cracked the door open while simultaneously holding back the water to keep it from spilling into the hallway. The Melodious Nocturne carefully created what could be called a castle of books on the top shelf near the doorway. **(Don't ask how he got up there. I'll just tell you that Vexen needs almost an entire wall of shelves fixed). **The main balance point of the castle was the door, so that if the door moved at all, the heavy textbooks would come crashing down on whoever was unlucky enough to open it.

Demyx stood back an admired his work, a proud grin on his face.

_Not bad,_ he thought. _Not bad at all!_

Now, all Demyx had to do was leave.

Demyx frowned as he looked at the doorway…at first, he didn't think that he'd be able to squeeze out…but he made it. He was just a little late…

***********

Meanwhile, Vexen, Saix, and Zexion were heading back to the lab after they had gotten a quick drink. The three of them were still contemplating exactly how to get Pooh's storybook open.

"Perhaps if we asked Larxene to—" began Saix, but he was cut off by Zexion, who had stopped walking.

"Shh…do you hear that?" Number Six asked.

The other Nobodies stopped walking. They heard the faint sound of running water…

Vexen crossed his arms. "No doubt Demyx is causing some sort of trouble again. I'm sure Lord Xemnas will take care of it. Now, what were you saying, Saix?" The three resumed their walking. As they neared the labs, however, the sound of rushing water became louder.

Vexen felt himself pale_. No, not my laboratory…_ His pace quickened, and so did his companions'.

When they arrived at the labs, the trio hardly noticed the ninth member of the Organization scurrying away. All they saw was the catastrophe inside Vexen's lab.

"My laboratory!" gasped Vexen. He seized the handle of the lab's door and flew through the door into his annihilated lab. The near waist-high water was released from its bond (courtesy of Demyx's good timing) and crashed into Vexen, Zexion, and Saix. The trio was knocked instantly from their feet. Almost the second after they had fallen to the ground, the castle of books fell from their perch and landed right on Saix's face! **(X marks the spot!) **

Zexion blinked, still startled from the sudden onslaught of water. Then, he picked himself up, brushed the bubbles off of himself, and wrung out his coat.

"It seems Demyx has outdone himself this time," Number Six commented dryly.

Vexen was in shock, looking around his poor, demolished lab as a father looks at his son's casket.

"No…this…this cannot be happening…" sputtered the fourth member of the Organization.

Saix, on the other hand, skipped the stage of denial and jumped right to anger.

"DEMYX!" the blue-haired Nobody screamed in rage, grabbing a nearby book and ripping it in half.

Zexion raised his eyebrows. "Calm down, Saix! That was a perfectly good, albeit wet, book. Now I have to find another copy…"

"How can you be so…so _calm_? My laboratory is in _RUINS_! And what's worse, that little ruffian has taken the book!" roared Vexen, nearly as infuriated. He turned down the hallway to Demyx's retreating figure. "NUMBER NINE!" he called, beginning to walk briskly after him. Saix wasn't far behind, his azure hair nearly standing on end from rage.

Zexion sighed. _I guess I'll have to get the book back while the other two take care of Demyx…_

"Demyx, I must insist that you give us back that book! The Superior demands that we release the seal on it!" Zexion yelled down the hallway as he walked quickly to catch up with the rest of the "hunting party".

And thus begins "The Hunt for Demyx". You guys know how it all ends… (;^)

***Those capsules were used in Vexen's cloning experiments…at least, in my mind they were.**

****XD Demyx drinks the bathtub water…now, doesn't that explain a lot?**

**Demyx, you are such a klutz! ^.^ But we love ya anyway. *huggles***

**Well, that's it. This story is officially finished! I don't know about you guys, but I'm kinda sad it's over…**

**A special thank you to all who reviewed!!!! I love you all! *gives ice cream* I'll try to get the next chapter of some of my other stories up ASAP!**

**Peace out!**

**Hoshiko**


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